---
title: South Africa’s data-only network Rain plans fully mobile service - Developing Telecoms
description: South Africa’s Rain, which describes itself as the country’s mobile data-only network, may not be data-only for long. Its major investor, African Rainbow Capital (ARC), has reportedly said that Rain hopes to launch a full mobile service this year.
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date: 2023-03-20T17:21:14Z
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South Africa’s Rain, which describes itself as the country’s mobile data-only network, may not be data-only for long. Its major investor, African Rainbow Capital (ARC), has reportedly said that Rain hopes to launch a full mobile service this year.

As website Connecting Africa points out, Rain began as a data-only provider, providing fixed internet services to homes and data-only mobile SIMs. However, it acquired blocks of spectrum in the 700MHz and 2600MHz bands at a government auction in March 2022 and now, ARC says, plans to launch a mobile service that includes voice.

ARC, which focuses on opportunities in the South African and African financial services and diversified investments industries, says Rain is well positioned as a low-cost data provider that already has spectrum in contested areas but that “the acquired spectrum will allow Rain to improve its coverage at a comparatively low cost”.

[As we reported](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/wireless-networks/8167-nokia-deploys-5g-with-operator-rain-in-south-africa.html), Rain was the first South African network to launch 5G – in February 2019. Indeed, ARC suggested at a recent financial results presentation, Rain has enjoyed subscriber growth in the 5G space and better ARPU than anticipated.

This is quite a confident statement of intent after the failed merger attempt with number three mobile network Telkom, [which we reported in January](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-business/operator-news/14405-telkom-and-rain-talks-are-over-for-now.html).

How the mobile offering will be delivered or priced is not clear but, according to ARC co-CEO Johan Van Zyl, it will make the company "a more holistic competitor and not just a niche player".

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